Bandon Dunes: Oregon Course Review
7/7/2013 | by Pete Wlodkowski of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort - Bandon Dunes, All Course Reviews, AmateurGolf.com 2026 Two Man Links and Father & Son at Bandon Dunes presented by Callaway, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
The first course at Bandon Dunes Resort is still many golfers' favorite, even after four more have opened
More than a dozen years after the Lodge
opened, it’s still the Scottish voice of golf
architect David McLay Kidd that you hear if
you’ve requested a wake-up call when staying
anywhere at Bandon Dunes Resort.
It's a nice way to start the day.
The course gets off to a solid start. The firm fairways and pot bunkers (and some kind of breeze or weather on most days) of links golf are a big part of the opening, as you play several solid holes as the course winds it’s way to the Pacific.
But after hopefully driving into the fourth fairway (and hopefully you’re in the optimal position out by the pot bunker) an astounding view of the huge green below and big blue ocean behind makes the heart start pumping a bit faster.
It’s a quick one-two punch of greatness as you head for the 5th tee, where what seems like a moonscape of grassy mounds sit right in the middle of the fairway and the ocean rides the left. This is where conflicting thoughts of “don’t go left – but wait, don’t go right!” and "Just what are those mounds in the fairway?" can play havoc with a good swing. The reality is a solid shot up the right side leaves plenty of room for error and a nice angle into the deep green framed by mounds on either side.
It's simply one of the best holes I've ever played where pars feel great and birdies are a rare treat.
The back nine also has a stunning combination of holes; the back-to-back genius here are the 15th and 16th, and par-3 and par-4. No. 15 has an exposed sliver of a green with winds generally blowing into your face or across, pushing balls into perhaps the deepest bunker on the course, a pot sitting 20-30 feet below the green’s surface. The left side is no bargain, so you better take dead aim with a shot the can play over 200 yards in order to avoid having to show off your short game prowess.
Then it’s on to No. 16 (the signature hole, if a course of this stature can have one) a reachable par-4 with ocean and waste areas both tempting and providing warning not to stray at the same time.
Sound familiar?
Finishing with a solid par-5 and the Lodge behind give a sense of closure to Bandon Dunes like none of it’s sister layouts can.
It may not be everyone’s favorite, (Pacific Dunes seems to lead the informal polls) but this classic links layout didn’t just put McLay Kidd on the map, it made Bandon Dunes owner Mike Keiser the guy to watch in the golf resort business. He didn’t disappoint us.
It's a nice way to start the day.
The course gets off to a solid start. The firm fairways and pot bunkers (and some kind of breeze or weather on most days) of links golf are a big part of the opening, as you play several solid holes as the course winds it’s way to the Pacific.
But after hopefully driving into the fourth fairway (and hopefully you’re in the optimal position out by the pot bunker) an astounding view of the huge green below and big blue ocean behind makes the heart start pumping a bit faster.
It’s a quick one-two punch of greatness as you head for the 5th tee, where what seems like a moonscape of grassy mounds sit right in the middle of the fairway and the ocean rides the left. This is where conflicting thoughts of “don’t go left – but wait, don’t go right!” and "Just what are those mounds in the fairway?" can play havoc with a good swing. The reality is a solid shot up the right side leaves plenty of room for error and a nice angle into the deep green framed by mounds on either side.
It's simply one of the best holes I've ever played where pars feel great and birdies are a rare treat.
The back nine also has a stunning combination of holes; the back-to-back genius here are the 15th and 16th, and par-3 and par-4. No. 15 has an exposed sliver of a green with winds generally blowing into your face or across, pushing balls into perhaps the deepest bunker on the course, a pot sitting 20-30 feet below the green’s surface. The left side is no bargain, so you better take dead aim with a shot the can play over 200 yards in order to avoid having to show off your short game prowess.
Then it’s on to No. 16 (the signature hole, if a course of this stature can have one) a reachable par-4 with ocean and waste areas both tempting and providing warning not to stray at the same time.
Sound familiar?
Finishing with a solid par-5 and the Lodge behind give a sense of closure to Bandon Dunes like none of it’s sister layouts can.
It may not be everyone’s favorite, (Pacific Dunes seems to lead the informal polls) but this classic links layout didn’t just put McLay Kidd on the map, it made Bandon Dunes owner Mike Keiser the guy to watch in the golf resort business. He didn’t disappoint us.
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s originalLoading latest news...